Sakhalin Region was established

The resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR “On Abolishment of South Sakhalin Region and Inclusion of its Territory into Sakhalin Region” was adopted on December 31, 1946, signed by the Chairman of the Presidium I. Vlasov and Secretary P. Bakhmurov and submitted for approval to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On January 2, 1947 the Order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was adopted. It read in part: “Approve the submission of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR on abolishment of South Sakhalin Region and inclusion of its territory into Sakhalin Region. Withdraw Sakhalin Region from Khabarovsk Territory." The order was signed by Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR N. Shvernik and Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet A. Gorkin. It was approved by J. Stalin - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and Ya. Chadayev - Chief of the Management Directorate of the Council of Ministers of the USSR.

On February 25, 1947 the Supreme Soviet of the USSR passed a law amending the Constitution of the USSR. Thus, the article 22 of the Constitution of the USSR, which listed all territories, regions and autonomous regions of the RSFSR, now featured Sakhalin Region of republican subordination with its modern borders, while South Sakhalin Region (1946-1947) and Sakhalin Region of Khabarovsk Territory of the RSFSR (1932–1947) were abolished giving part of their names to the new region. Since then, Sakhalin Region has never entered other administrative-territorial entities of Russia. The corresponding changes were introduced into the Constitution of the RSFSR in 1948. The decision on unification of South Sakhalin Region (est. on February 2, 1946) and (North) Sakhalin Region (est. on October 20, 1932) was reasonable in terms of economy, demography, defence, and optimal control. In the south of the island there was a more developed industry, and most of the population was concentrated there. The headquarters of the Far Eastern Military District were moved here in 1945. By the Order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 18, 1947 the center of the region was moved from Aleksandrovsk to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. There were no convenient harbors in the north of the island, while the south of Sakhalin had three ports with longer navigation periods. They ensured maritime transport links to the mainland and the Kuril Islands. Khabarovsk Territory consisted of seven regions, three national districts (‘okrugs’), and four individual districts; therefore, two Sakhalin regions were financed by a leftover principle. The newly established region was funded directly from the republican budget. The authorities of (Khabarovsk) Territory were unaware of specifics of the local policy, which involved introduction of the Soviet economic system instead of the Japanese capitalist model of economic management, establishment of constitutional local governments and abolishment of extraordinary government bodies, settlement of the region and repatriation of the Japanese population.

The establishment of the united region promoted integration of the territory, which had entered the Soviet Union, and boosted its development. On April 1, 1947 the South Sakhalin Regional Civil Affairs Directorate (department of the Far Eastern Military District) was abolished and was replaced with departments of the Regional Executive Committee of the Sakhalin Regional Soviet of Workers' Deputies. In accordance with the resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of February 15, 1947 "On Establishment of District and Municipal Soviets of Workers' Deputies in South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands", in accordance with the resolution No. 139 of April 22, 1947 the Sakhalin Regional Executive Committee established executive committees of district and municipal Soviets on the territory of former South Sakhalin Region. The first Sakhalin regional party conference, which preceded Soviet local government elections, was held in October 1947. In December 1947, soviets (rural, district, municipal etc.) and the Regional Soviet of Workers' Deputies elections were held in the new region. In December 1947, D. N. Kryukov was elected Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Sakhalin Regional Soviet of Workers' Deputies. D. N. Kryukov (former Head of the Civil Affairs Directorate in South Sakhalin) and M. A. Purkayev - the Commander (1945-1947) of the Far Eastern Military District initiated the establishment of the new region. They sent a cipher telegram directly to the Central Committee of the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union) to J. Stalin, avoiding the Khabarovsk Territory Committee of the CPSU.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Sakhalin Region: Pages of History: collection.

The material was provided by the Sakhalin Regional Universal Research Library

The author of the article S. A. Ponomarev is the chairman of the Sakhalin Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society, senior researcher at the Center for International Marine Research of the Admiral G. I. Nevelsky Maritime State University